Students from Dunbar, Linkhorne, and Sandusky middle schools explored various career pathways through the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Real-World Academics Camp at Sandusky Middle School this July. Throughout the week-long summer program, participants were introduced to 3D animation, dentistry, culinary arts, cosmetology, and podcasting, spending a day on each subject.
“This program is a good opportunity to expose students to careers they’ll be able to explore in high school. It shows students what’s out there so they can find what interests them and start thinking about their future aspirations,” said Lynchburg City Schools (LCS) Supervisor of CTE Robbie Dooley.
Launched in 2024, the CTE Real-World Academics Camp emphasizes hands-on learning. Students dabble in computer animation, make dental impressions, bake pretzels from scratch, practice styling hair and painting nails, and try podcasting with professional equipment.
“It teaches us how to do things and helps us get into the mindset of growing adults,” said Sandusky Middle School student Krishon Morris.
Each subject that students explored this summer corresponds to a CTE program offered at LCS high schools. Introducing these offerings early helps middle schoolers start thinking ahead about what types of professions they’d like to pursue in the future.
“I want to become a cosmetologist. I might open my own shop one day,” said Dunbar Middle School student Arriauna Thomas. “I do hair all the time, and practicing on the mannequins today got me even more interested in studying cosmetology in high school.”
Students don’t have to wait until high school to get started with CTE, either. Middle schoolers can take family and consumer sciences, technology education, career investigations, and computer systems learning. These courses give learners hands-on experience in fields like video and audio broadcasting, engineering, coding, cybersecurity, podcasting, and digital music production before they even start ninth grade.
“Lots of students don’t even know what types of positions are out there. With subjects like 3D animation, the possibilities are endless—skills we teach in school have many applications, from game design to movies and TV shows to advertisements. There’s a lot of potential to pursue diverse creative and technical career paths,” said LCS game design teacher Cole Eldridge.
Many students become aware of CTE opportunities as early as elementary school. CTE teachers frequently orchestrate experiences that allow high schoolers to connect with younger students. For example, cosmetology students have been known to host free salon days for elementary students, and dentistry students visit elementary classrooms each year to discuss healthy dental hygiene practices.
“I have a student who will be a junior this year. She told me she remembers when my class visited her elementary school. Now, years later, she’s in the dental careers program pursuing her hygienist license,” said dental careers teacher Whitney Wilson. “It’s exciting to have that type of long-lasting impact on students from an early age.”
